The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a N100 billion lawsuit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE. The lawsuit, known as the Fuel Import suit, was against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and others over a fuel import licence dispute.
Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the suit after Dangote Refinery’s counsel, C. O. Adegbe, applied to withdraw the case. Lawyers representing the defendants did not object. The defendants included NNPC, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.
Dangote Refinery had asked the court to nullify the import licences issued by NMDPRA to NNPC and the five oil firms for the importation of refined petroleum products. The Fuel Import suit also sought N100 billion in damages, claiming the regulator’s actions undermined local refining efforts.
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Meanwhile, NNPC has announced plans to increase its shareholding in Dangote Refinery to 20 per cent. The Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, made this known during the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) while discussing the implications of the Fuel Import suit on future operations.
Ojulari said NNPC was improving transparency in its operations ahead of a planned initial public offering. “The IPO journey is mandated by the Petroleum Industry Act. We have begun publishing our monthly performance reports since May this year, and that process continues,” he said.
In Edo State, members of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) held a protest in Benin City. They demanded that the Federal Government protect the Dangote Refinery as a strategic national asset.
The protesters said the refinery represents Nigeria’s ability to refine crude oil domestically. This facility must be fully supported to stabilise fuel prices and strengthen the naira.
NAPS National President, Comrade Eshiofune Paul Oghayan, called on the Federal Government to ensure full crude oil supply to the refinery. He said any attempt to frustrate the refinery should be treated as economic sabotage, indicating the importance of local protection despite the backdrop of the Fuel Import suit.
“If the refinery operates at full capacity, it will help reduce fuel prices, ease pressure on foreign exchange, and support economic recovery. Nigeria must prioritise locally refined fuel for national use,” Oghayan said.
He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to dismantle the fuel importation cartel. Furthermore, he called for the promotion of policies that support domestic refining and industrial growth.
